More Than 100 DV Advocates and Allies Join NYSCADV at 2024 Budget Advocacy Day to Demand Full Funding for Victim Services and Living Wages for DV Advocates
Facing nearly $20 million of cuts on existing Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) contracts, survivors of crime and the advocates who provide them life-changing services joined legislative leaders to demand the FY’25 state budget fully fund victim services and provide living wages to DV advocates.
Federal VOCA funding is the largest funding source supporting New York’s crime victims, enabling thousands of New Yorkers to access shelter, housing, legal assistance, counseling and more. New York’s federal VOCA grant declined by 61% (or $121.6 million) over the last five years. Prior state appropriations covered only 23% of the shortfall. The State has warned of 15% cuts to existing contracts and potential cuts to the next three-year procurement (2025-2028). The Governor’s Executive Budget includes $134.4 million to ensure the continuity of existing contracts and support the next three-year procurement cycle. It is now critical that the Assembly and Senate support the Governor’s earmark so all DV survivors can get the help they need, when they need it.
Advocates also urged the Legislature to stabilize the DV sector’s diminishing workforce by giving all staff at DV programs a cost-of-living salary adjustment, or COLA. DV advocates perform challenging work that requires specialized training. Yet many DV advocates are not paid living wages. This has had a disastrous impact on the ability of DV programs to retain and recruit employees. DV advocates urged the Legislature to ensure living wages for DV advocates by providing them with a first-ever COLA in this year’s state budget.
Additional 2024 budget requests include:
- Supporting a $21 million increase in funding for adult protective and DV services;
- Supporting $5 million for DV agencies to provide direct financial assistance to DV survivors; and,
- Supporting OVS funding to fully implement the Fair Access to Victim Compensation law, which permits victim service providers, rather than law enforcement, to support victim applications for state assistance.